Rubber article and process of making same.



To all whom it may concern? nnviuonn is. raise,

or new rear, N. 'Y., assienou'ro' RUBBER ,REGENERATIING COMPANY, aconronarion or-mpmna.

nuennre anrrcnn sun rnoonss or MAKING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

messes.

No Drawing.

Be it known that l, Ram [one B. PRICE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the'city of New York, county and State of New York, usefulImprovements in Rubber Articles and Processes of --ll/lraking Same, orWhich the following is afull, clear, and exact disclosurey v Y Thisinvention relates to the manufacture ofrubber articles.-

lt'has or" straight fibers c'anizable plasti binder in textile Work,produces a somewhat stiff product, for instance, when several layers ofstraight fibers, thread, strands, cords, or the like, are placed in theWall of a tire, a truss action results and the Wall is too stiff, and itis such inelasticities in rubber and fabric articles that my presentinvention overcomes.

As far as I am aware, every plan of making automobile tires, hose andrubber goods generally, involves the use ofrubber treated straightfibers, twisted into threads, strands, or cords, and used in such form,

braided or knitted into fabric. These straight fibers are non-extensibleiongitudi-. nally, consequently, cannot yield under the longitudinalstress. To obviatethis detect, I contemplate the use. of nonetraightelements such as fibers, threads, cords and the like, united withrubber, or rubber-like material, whereby longitudinal yielding of thesame may occur under stress.

The invention in its broadest aspect contemplates the embodiment ofvulcanizable plastic treated elements, havingan inherent wave of outlinein lZBXtllB work. lChe contour of such element may be controlled alongpredetermined lines or not, as is desired, according to the use to whichthe arti ole is to be put. Furthermore, as vulcanization is to beconsidered in connection with the ultimate product, I contemplatepartial. or Whole vulcanization at any stage in the manufacture, whichwould require such l treatment to be practical.

W, hen in this application I use the term inherent, 1t its intended toinclude any irregularity of outline, such as crlnips, cor

-- rugations and the like, other than that 1mthe article, and when 1use" the term parted to the element in building it into vulcanizableplastic, it is intended to include Application 'filed December 29,191 1. Serial No. 879,590,

have invented certain new and been found that the arrangement boundtogether with a vul-' terial in 't homogeneous unitary or Woven,

Patented net. 3, rain.

not only rubber, but also .guttapercha, balata, and the like, whichalthough not commonly vulcanized; are in fact capable of vulcanizationor setting.

More specifically, the invention consists in effecting controlledirregularities in such elements as fibers, threads, strands, cords, andthe like, treating the same with a vul canizable plastic, assembling aplurality of. such elements to form elements of larger dimension andpartially or wholly vulcanizing the same, whereby the resulting productembodies inherently irregular fibrous e1einents united with rubber orrubber-like mabody which can yield in the direction ofthe length of.said elements under stress, H

In carrying out my invention, there are a Wide-number of variationspossible in the sequence of manipulation of'the fibrous"elements andvul'canizable plastic,:,and myinvention is not limited toanyparticular'se quence which will hereafter be described, but is intended to includeall and every sequence which attains the results'and conditions Whichthe principle involved in my.

invention produces intextile. and rubber work,

In an embodiment of my. inyention, the fibrous elements, such as fibers,strands, threads, cords, of the straight, treated with a vulcanizableplastic, assembled to form elements of larger dimension, and partially.or Wholly vulcan ized. The distortion may be performed simultaneouslyWiththe treating, assembling and vulcanizing steps, or independentlytherefrom, or any sequence of the stepsgmay necessary to the beutilized,-it being only practice of my invention, that in the finalproduct or article of manufacture, there ap pear fibrous elements havingan irregularity of outline other-than that imparted to them in thebuilding of the article. I

. A few of the many possible variations in sequence of manipulationplate disposing a layer-oi parallel fibers in a corrugated mold,together with a vulcanizable plastic, and thereby crimpingthe 'fi herand plastic simultaneously, either with or the like, are distorted outwill now be enumeratedby Way of example. I content braiding, orotherwisebuilding the crimped tic, assembling a treatment to be fibers intoelements of plastic to straight fibers, then crimping the product, andthen twisting, weaving, braiding, or otherwise building the same intoelements of larger dimension. I contemplate partial or wholevulcanization at any step in the manufacture thatwould require suchpractical, or find it of advantage. Furthermore, although in the aboveexamples, I have in each instance enumera'ted liberal desire it to beunderstood that the Words strand, thread, or cord may be substitutedforithe word fibers,

, and the example read accordingly.

From the above description it can now readily be seen that the principleinvolved in nay-invention resides in producing certain advantageousconditions and results in textile and rubber articles of manufacture,which include yielding in the direction of the length of the fibrouselements thereof, together with greater eiiiciencyin load supportingqualities, and these results or conditions I produce by the embodimentin such articles of inherently irregular fibrous ele ments.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent is:

1. The process of manufacturing material consisting of crimping fibrouselements, treating the same with a vulqanizahle'plasplurality of suchelements with the crimps unconfined and free to straighten out to formelements of larger dimension extensible in the direction of length ofthe crimpedelements, and

wholly vulcanizing the same.

2. The process consisting of crimping elements with a vulcanizableplastic, assembling a plurality of such elements with the partially orand coating fibrous larger dimension and then applying avulcaniza'bleplastic thereto. l contemplate applying avulcanlzable of manufacturingmaterialcrimps unconfined and free to straighten. out to form elementsof larger dimension ex tensible in the direction of length of thecrimped elements, and vulcanizing the same.

3. The process of, manufacturing material consisting of crimping fibrouselements, treating the same with a vulcanizable plastic, twisting aplurality of such elements with the crimps unconfined and free tostraighten out to form elements of larger di mension extensible in thedirection of length of the crimped elements, and vulcanizing the same.

4;. The process of manufacturing material consisting of crimping fibrouselements. treating the same with a vulcanizable plastic, weaving aplurality of the same with the crimps unconfined and free to straightenout into elements of larger dimension extensible in the direction oflength of the crimped elements and vulcanizing the same.

5. An'article of manufacture embodying inherently irregular fibrouselements eXtcnsible longitudinally of their lengths, united with aVulcanizable plastic.

6. An. article of manufacture embodying inherently irregular fibrouselements exten sible longitudinally of their lengths and ruhher, orrubberelilre material, united in a homogeneous unitary body.

7. An article of manufacture embodying vulcanizable plastic treatedfibrous elements having an irregularity of outline other than thatimparted to them in the building of the article, extensiblelongitudinally of their lengths by the straightening out of theirregularity of the outline thereof under stress.

Signed at New York, N. Y., December 28" 1 RAYMOND l3. PRICE.

